Polyester Resin

[Jake Byrd]

I am making some PR blanks today(planning on it anyway) and I need to know what to use for the molds. Any ideas?

Thanks,

[Rob Littleton]

I did this a while back.....

I took some surfboard resin and mixed in colors. I even mixed in a bunch of sawdust. Kinda ugly but anyways.......

I used a couple of pen tubes that I got for the pen program. Just poured in the resin and let it set, drilled thru the middle and turned it. The first thing to turn off was the plastic of the tube, then I could work on turning the pen.

Obviously, the tube is not re usable.......

Have fun

[G.C. Wagner]

I have used copper pipe or pvc for resin molds with success. I sprayed the inside with Pam spray as a release agent. I just taped the end so I could stand it up to pour the resin. You might need to use a piece of dowel to tap it out when it sets up. I've found that the resin usually comes out the taped end a little easier.

Hope this helps.

Gerry

[Tom Mullane]

This is a subject I have been real interested in... I have seen and read about gluing snake skin to the pen tube and then casting that in resin and turning to finished size...
OK so here are the questions:
1. Where do I buy some resin to experiment with and not break the bank
2. Does this stuff cast glass clear and take a clear finish when polished... I obviously want the snake skin to be seen clearly and brightly..
3. How long does it take to cure and do you need to do it at a certain temperature/humidity range... I have heard the stuff stinks as it cures and that absolutely eliminates the possibility of working in the house... unless I want to end up living in the garage.. LOL
Thanks

[Jake Byrd]

Tom, the resin I have is actually called clear cast resin, which means it casts clear. I got my resin at Ben Franklin along with some pigments to color it, although you can get all kinds of resin supplies at www.artstuf.com (http://www.artstuf.com). As far as curing time goes, that depends on how much you use. Oh Tom, BTW, I really like the pens you turn.

Hope this helps,

[Jake Byrd]

You also need catalyst to start the curing process, but this normally comes with the resin.

[Robert Cox]

MEKP is the cure agent. Methyl Ethyl Ketone Peroxide.

Polyester resin won't cure in the presence of air. So likely the clear cast stuff has wax added.

If you buy poly at a boat place you need to seal it from air somehow. Saran wrap in contact with the open surface is OK.

[Anthony Penchetta]

I just got my supplies in from www.artstuf.com to make my own resins. Resins, dyes, pearls, whole big box to play with. I just made my copper tube molds to cast the clear resin snake pens. The other resins I make I am going to cast in a mold www.misterart.com in the search window type in 4292869 , they have other sizes as well. Then just cut them on the band saw into pen blanks.

Tom, it is pretty smelly, and my first casting that went bad, did turn crystal clear. I was impressed.

Here is a phot of the molds I made and a pen with the skin glued over a wood pen barrel and the resin over the skin. Anthony